Zuhair Bin Sahir

All of us get angry, at times. You must have had quarrels with your friends over some issue or with your parents when they did not allow you to go somewhere or get something you wish to have, like an ice-cream when you had a sore throat.

People have suggested counting the numerals 1 to 20 when your tempers are on flame or to console yourself, Hey! Leave it. Why lose your tempers on such trivial things?

Hazrath Ameer Muaviah (R) was the Caliph before Banu Ummaiyah. One day he stood up in the Mosque to deliver the ‘Khutba’ and addressed the people: “O people, listen to me and obey.” On hearing these words, an elderly person among the lot, Abu Muslim Khulani, stood up and said, ‘Oh, Muaviah, we are neither going to listen to you nor obey you’.

Amir Muaviah was taken aback. He asked, “O Abu Muslim, what are you saying? Why did you refuse to obey and listen to me?” Abu Muslim replied, ‘because the pensions which were sanctioned by the Govt.. for us have been halted by you. You had no right to do so, because they were not being given from your or your father’s pockets’.

On hearing the reply of Abu Muslim, Amir Muaviah became very angry. He was about to lose his temper when he got off the podium all of a sudden and went out of the Mosque saying, ‘I will be just back’. After sometime, he came back from his house after having taken a bath. He stood up on the podium and addressed: “O people! I became extremely annoyed on listening to Abu Muslim. However I have heard Rasulullah (S) say that anger is the handiwork of the devil. It is he who infuses fire inside people in the garb of anger and water is the only thing which can douse this fire.”

Therefore, it is advisable to take a bath, when tempers hot up. That is why, I have come here after taking a bath. Whatever Abu Muslim has said is true, that the pensions were not being given by me. From today, I lift all sanctions.”
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Mohd Adil Siddiqui

The Prophet (Pbuh) said, “Whoever does something which is not in our matter (Islam) it is rejected.”

We take countless actions everyday but how many Muslims check on their doings from the Islamic point of view. The life of the Muslim is bound by Islam because success for the Muslim is to seek the pleasure of Allah (swt) and the unit of measurement by which the Muslim judges everything is the Halal and the Haram; therefore, the Muslim is delegated to run his/her affairs according to the divine rules of Islam.

There are five types of divine rules; 1) They are: the compulsory (Fard),
2) The recommended (Mandoub),
3) The optional (Mubah),
4) The non-recommended (Makrooh), and
5) The prohibited (Haram)

Every Muslim is obliged to take actions based on these five types of divine rules. Also, every Muslim assumes the responsibility of doing something without or before knowing the ‘Hukum’ of Allah (swt) regarding it because Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an, “No, by your Lord, We will ask them about what they were doing.”

It is also known that the Sahaba (RAA) used to consult Prophet (Pbuh) regarding their actions before they proceed to do anything. One may claim that having a problem which has never happened before leaves the option to do what he/she wishes. Simply by stating this, this statement is already contradicting the Islamic doctrine because Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an: “This day, I perfected your Deen for you, and completed my favour onto you and chosen for you Deen-al-Islam.” Every action that you may think of falls in one of the five types of the divine rules because the Deen of Islam is complete. It is merely the work of the Mujtahid to derive the “Hukum” of Allah (swt) and under no circumstances one may take action based on any excuse.
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1. The numerals 1 to 9 were discovered by the Arabs.
2. There is no river flowing across the entire Saudi Arabia.
3. The largest Mosque in the world is the Shah Faisal Mosque in Pakistan.
4. The name which is called out the most number of times in the world is ‘Muhammad’.
5. Michael H. Hart, an eminent writer from US, gave the first rank to Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) in his book ‘The 100: A ranking of the most influential persons in history’.
6. Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) pardoned even the worst of his enemies who killed his beloved uncle, Hamza, mutilated his dead body, had ripped it open and chewed a piece of his liver.

By Khalid Mecci

Some years before Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) began his mission of preaching Islam there occurred an event of great concern in the lives of the Meccans. A sudden flood had shaken the foundations of the Kabah and cracked its walls. Besides, the Kabah had no ceiling and the treasures it housed were exposed to robbery. The Meccans had seriously thought of rebuilding it; but a rebuilt Kabah with doors and a ceiling, they imagined, would bring upon them a curse.

To each of the four clans of Makkah fell the task of demolishing and rebuilding one of the four walls of the Kabah. But no one volunteered to begin the work of demolition for fear of punishment by its gods. At length Al-Walid after praying to the gods pulled down part of the Yamani wall assigned to his tribe. With baited breath the rest waited to see what would befall him. When the morning came and nothing had happened to him they took courage and began to work.

Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh), like the others, helped in the work till the Kabah was levelled except for the green stones which were found below the walls. The Meccans could not shake them loose and thus decided to use them as foundations on which to build the new walls. From the neighbouring mountains the Meccans carried stones of blue granite to the site of the Kabah and the walls rose from the ground quickly.

The Sacred Black Stone (Hijre-Aswad) had to be placed in the East wall of the Kabah. Dispute arose as to who would have the honour of placing the stone. So serious was the matter that members of the clan of Banu Abad al Dar brought a bowl full of blood and dipping their hands in it swore never to relinquish their honour.

Abu Umayyah, powerful and respected in Meccan society, used his influence and said to the Meccans, “Let the first person to pass through the gate of the haram (precincts of the Holy Kabah) be our arbitrator”.

Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) was the one to pass through the gate. He was received with joyous acclaim when they beheld him, “It is Al-Ameen! We will accept his verdict”! For indeed he was known to everyone as Al-Ameen, the trust worthy!

Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) asked for a mantle to be brought. He placed on it the sacred Black Stone and asked the representatives of the four clans to hold the four sides of the mantle. On reaching the east wall of the Kabah he lifted the stone from the mantle and placed it in the wall to the satisfaction of all the disputing clans. To reconcile a fiery people in those turbulent times required great wisdom and tact which was so well displayed by the Prophet (Pbuh) in this incident in his life which took place before his call to Prophethood. It is also clear that he enjoyed a reputation for honesty among his people, who, as you have just read, so willingly subjected their claims to his sense of judgement. We should take a cue from such instances of the Prophet’s (Pbuh) life which is full of acts of great moral courage.

Indeed the Holy Qur’an says : “In God’s messenger you have a fine model for someone who looks forward to (meeting) God and to the Last Day and mentions God frequently.” (33:21)
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The Prophet (Pbuh) companions are called the ‘Sahaba’. The stories of the Sahaba have become famous and are retold to each new generation. They are especially useful and are a source of inspiration to young and old alike.

One such Sahaba was Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him). He was an Abyssinian slave who had the honour of becoming the Muezzin of the Prophet’s (Pbuh) Mosque at Madinah.

Bilal’s early life as a slave under Ummayah bin Khalaf was tragic to say the least. Ummayah would make him lie on the burning desert sand and place a heavy stone on his chest. “Renounce Islam or swelter and die in this”, Ummayah would say. “Ahad” (The One Allah), “Ahad” (The One Allah), was the only reply from Bilal.

The torture would continue with Abu Jahl among others also joining in. After lashing Bilal they would make him lie on the hot sand. His body would burn when the open wounds touched the sand. But Bilal remained steadfast, “Ahad, Ahad”, he replied.

At last Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) bought his freedom and he became a free Muslim. His close association with the Prophet (Pbuh) and sacrifice in the way of Allah brought him a great honour. He was to become Muezzin of the Prophet’s (Pbuh) Mosque at Madinah. He remained close to the Prophet (Pbuh), at home and abroad and always called out the Azan for the Prophet’s (Pbuh) Salat.

After the Prophet (Pbuh) passed away Bilal left Madinah in sorrow. Once in a dream the Prophet (Pbuh) asked him, “O Bilal, How is it that you never visit me?” At once he set out for Madinah where he met the Prophet’s grandchildren Hassan and Hussain (May Allah be pleased with them). They asked Bilal to say the Azan.

No sooner had Bilal called out from the Prophet’s (Pbuh) Mosque when the men and women of Madinah ran out of their homes in anguish weeping in remembrance of the glorious days of the Prophet (Pbuh).

The memory of his close association with the Prophet (Pbuh) haunted him wherever he went in Madinah. He left a few days later and died in Damascus in 10 A.H.

This story demonstrates the sacrifice the Sahabas made and the great moral quality of their lives. These were the people who assisted the Prophet (Pbuh) in the early days of Islam.

Sometime or the other many questions rise in our minds like, can we be indifferent to the actions of other people? `Can I exist in isolation and as totally cut off from the rest of society? Can you exist without any relations with other people?`

What effect does the goodness or badness of the society have on the individual? What kind of individuals grow up in a religious society? When a person grows up in an evil, corrupt and perverse society, to what evils is he led?

What responsibility does a Muslim have towards the society he or she lives in?

In Islam, everyone is responsible before Allah towards the society, and no one can be indifferent to the actions of his neighbours. Each person must realise that he is linked to the rest of society and that the society is like a single body of which he is a part. Therefore, the true Muslim strives with all his might for the benefit and good programmess and ideals to lead the society to perfection and happiness provided that those programmes are properly carried out and followed by all the people in the society.

Therefore, in order that all the aspects of the laws and regulations of religion be properly carried out, Islam places that responsibility of ensuring the proper implementation of the Islamic teachings upon two factors.

First, the legal Islamic authority, that is, the legitimate Islamic government. It is the duty of the government in Islam to put into practice all the Islamic laws, regulations and programmes.

Islamic government has the duty of leading the individuals of the society towards good deed, and it must put an end to all instances of injustice, oppression, corruption and perversion. It must severely punish those who are guilty of these crimes and must constantly encourage those who are religious and benevolent. These are some of the most important duties of the Islamic government.

Secondly, each and every Muslim is considered in Islam to be responsible for the society and for practising divine laws. Each person is counted as a kind of guardian and policeman. In Islam, every Muslim must pay attention to the actions and behaviour of the people of his society, and must do what he can to prevent corruption.

A Muslim must himself be good and must also encourage others to do good, and he must strive for the welfare of society. Islam calls this duty “al’ amr bil-ma’ruf”, which means enjoining the right.

A Muslim must also refrain from sins and from breaking the laws of Islam and the Islamic government (if it is truly Islamic), and as far as he can he must try to prevent sins and corruption from occurring in the society. Islam calls this duty “Al-Nahy’ An Al Munkar” which means “forbidding the wrong”.

“Al Amr Bil -Ma’ruf” and “Al Nahy’ An Al Munkar” together form one of the most important public duties in Islam, and one of the foremost duties of every Muslim. Allah tells us in the Qur’an : “You are the best nation (O Muslims) brought out for mankind, because you enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and you have faith in Allah..” (3:109)

The Prophet (Pbuh) of Islam has said: “Enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, for as long as you do so your society will be strong and happy; but when Muslims would fail in this their society will be dominated by oppressors and no matter how much they pray to Allah for deliverance from the oppressors, Allah will not answer their prayers and they will find no justice anywhere, neither in the skies nor in the earth,”

Now that you know about this great and sacred duty, what programmes will you draw up for the rest of your life? How will you cooperate with your friends in performing this great duty? Do share your ideas and opinions with us. Write in your response within 50 words and send it to Islamic Voice. The best responses will be published along with your names. Your letters should reach us within 10th of next month.
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